Preventing Teen Motor Crashes Contributions from the Behavioral and Social Sciences: Workshop Report (2007) / Chapter Skim
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3 Characteristics of Adolescence That Can Affect Driving
3 Characteristics of Adolescence That Can Affect Driving
Pages 16-24
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From page 16... ...
But even though most teens want to drive and feel ready to handle the responsibility, a close look at their cognitive, social, and emotional development suggests that readiness to drive safely is not likely to occur automatically by the age of 16. The workshop addressed several aspects of adolescent development, with a focus on the features of this phase that are likely to have the greatest bearing on driving skills.
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From page 17... ...
Many of the primary causes of death and disability in these years -- which include crashes, suicide, substance abuse, and other risky behaviors -- are related to problems with control of behavior and emotion. The reasons why adolescents can have difficulty controlling their emotions and behavior are complex, and a thorough overview of decades of research on adolescent development was beyond the scope of the workshop.1 Instead, the focus was on identifying key insights that may have particular relevance to the problem of teen crashes and to use these insights as an entry point for exploring possibilities for improving the effectiveness of teen driving safety efforts.
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From page 18... ...
. The particular risks posed to teen drivers by extra passengers, music, cell phones, and other sources of stimulation or distraction begin to make sense when this aspect of teen development is understood.
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From page 19... ...
Since the teen is also less experienced and competent at the wheel than the average adult, the optimistic bias is particularly hazardous for teen drivers. THE IMPORTANT ROLE OF PEERS Adolescents are intensely attuned to social interactions with their peers, and Sara Kinsman and Joseph Allen provided two perspectives on the key ways in which these relationships influence behavior and increase risks for young drivers and their passengers.
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From page 20... ...
They have a particularly strong influence on youngsters who are social followers -- eager to improve their social status by association with more popular peers. Thus, in many cases, the teens in leadership positions are more likely to instigate risky behavior -- but teens who are struggling socially may be more susceptible to negative influences.
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From page 21... ...
For example, teens value both selfconfidence and skill, and they also value money and material goods. Thus, a program that took these values into account by offering rewards for demonstrating responsible driving skills in specific ways -- such as driving for a certain period without any violations or passing a series of tests -- would have the benefit of meeting teens on their own terms.
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From page 22... ...
Moreover, a 2006 National Sleep Foundation study found that 97 percent of adolescents have at least one electronic device in their bedroom (e.g., television, computer, Internet access, cell phone, music player) , so the array of stimulating activities that might keep them awake is far more diverse than it was a generation ago (National Sleep Foundation, 2006)
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From page 23... ...
THE SOCIAL CONTEXT OF TEEN DRIVING The cognitive and social development that takes place during adolescence interacts with individual personality traits, driving experience and ability, characteristics of the vehicle, and the roadway environment to influence driving behavior and safety, as Susan Ferguson pointed out. Other individual factors may be particularly relevant to driving as well.
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From page 24... ...
24 PREVENTING TEEN MOTOR CRASHES The extent to which the characteristics of adolescents and their developmental processes are not adequately taken into account in driver's education, licensing, and supervisory practices for young drivers was a persistent theme throughout the workshop. The next chapter explores current and potential strategies that might contribute to prevention efforts.
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